Hell's Chef
by MusicMoviesLife
Summary: (AU, OOC, SebaCiel) Being a famous chef of his own pastry shop, Sebastian is invited to participate on 'Hell's Chef', the newest cooking show on TV. And the longer he stays in the competition, the better he understands the saying "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach". Or, in his case, to a certain judge's heart.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! Well, thanks for taking a bit of your time to read this! This ismy first fic in english so sorry if it has any mistakes or anything (or if it's just overall crappy lol)!**

** I want to thank EchizenRyomaLover for beta-ing it and just being plain awesome!**

** I hope you all like it! :D**

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Dark bangs fell on the side of a pale face, brushing against high cheekbones as crimson eyes danced in amusement, thin lips set on a smirk. Sebastian felt his pride swell as he read the elegant writing of the board in front of him again.

'Hell's Chef'

After such a long time cooking for others, he finally made it.

He walked around again, his black leather shoes clicking silently against the floor as he took in his surroundings, waiting impatiently. It was actually his fault for arriving so early. Well, it was just a habit. And he wasn't willing to change it.

The sound of a door opening caught his attention and he turned around, saw the automatic metal doors open, with the 'H' and the 'C' separating as the red-headed girl he met before entered the room.

The girl was too clumsy and stuttered (and even talked!) like a 5-year-old, which made him wonder why the owners would hire such a…dense receptionist. But at least she had a nice and welcoming personality, which even helped to sooth Sebastian's anger after she dropped water on him.

"Mr. Sebastian! I hope you're feeling comfortable! Yes, I do!" She exclaimed happily, fixing her too large round glasses.

"I'm perfectly fine, Mey-Rin, thank you." He smiled charmingly at her, causing the receptionist's cheeks to become red.

"W-well, t-that's good, y-yes it is!" She coughed softly, trying to calm her nerves as the handsome young man stared at her. "Another contestant has arrived! You won't be alone anymore!"

Just as she finished speaking, the doors opened once again and Sebastian smirked once more as he saw exactly who he would be competing against for some time.

"Claude."

Golden eyes flicked up at his face at the sound of his deep voice and Sebastian's amusement only grew at the way the cold eyes seemed to narrow lightly at the sight before them.

"Michaelis," the slightly broader man greeted, approaching the other male.

They shook their hands and the red head could almost see the levels of testosterone in the room grow.

"I can take it from here, Mey-Rin. Thank you. Claude and I have already met," Sebastian said smoothly, throwing a small wink at the receptionist, who nodded with a deep flush on her face, mumbling an 'Excuse me' before leaving.

"Of all people, I didn't expect you to participate in one of these shows, Sebastian." Claude gently pushed his glasses up higher on the bridge of his nose, ignoring the stupid grin on his companion's face. The bloody bastard really never changed.

"What can I say? It was an interesting offer and it's good for my business. It would only bring more benefit to me," was the response Sebastian gave before sitting on one of the stools, fixing his black cardigan. "What about you?"

"You know me. I'm as ambitious as ever. Every opportunity is a good one."The golden-eyed male huffed lowly as he sat in front of the other.

"Sure thing."A low hum left Sebastian's throat as the words left his mouth, running his hand through his hair again.

"How have you been?"

"I beg your pardon?" Slightly confused red eyes looked up at bored golden ones, the question surprising him at least.

"I asked how you have been, Sebastian. Honestly, now you're deaf besides annoying as well?"

"Tsk, ill-mannered as always. I've been great, you bloody idiot. How about you?" Sebastian let the words come out as a growl, rolling his eyes at the cold glare he received from his words.

"I've been good. Cambridge does wonders to your life. You would know if you had gone there instead of-"

"Claude, please. We've already talked about that a long time ago. Let us not go back to the past, but look forward to the future. Which reminds me…" another smirk fell on his lips as he rested his head on his fist, staring at the other male with a cocky expression. "…that you should be worried about your future, since you'll be losing this to me on national television for all England to see."

Unable to hold it in, Claude let out a loud chuckle, removing his glasses to rub his temples; a shit-eating grin now on his face.

"We'll see about that, Michaelis."

After only one hour, all 14 contestants had arrived, each one sitting on a stool, looking around as they talked to other soon-to-be-opponents.

Yet, only one of them had attracted Sebastian's interest. A tall (taller than himself!), Indian man with short (save for two long braids going past his left shoulder), white hair, and a warm smile named Agni. From what the young cook learned (and tasted) over the years, Indian food was absolutely delicious, with exotic spices and a great scent. Besides Claude, it seemed that Agni would be Sebastian's biggest worry in here.

"M-may I have your attention, please?" Mey-Rin called, standing on a small aisle in front of the room, her voice catching the competitors' attention. The young woman could do nothing but try to keep calm as she flushed hotly with all of those eyes on her.

"S-seeing as everyone is already here, let us begin! Before you meet the judges, you'll introduce yourself to everyone, yes you will! And keep in mind that the judges are behind this door listening!" With a small gesture of her delicate hand, the symbol written 'HC' on it on the door on her back lit up.

"Who'd like to begin?"

The scene around Sebastian made him remember the old high school days. When his math teacher would ask the class something but no one dared to answer. It made him think about how everyone seemed shyer knowing someone important was listening to them.

"Go over there, Sebastian. You always liked being on the spotlight." Claude grumbled, glancing at the man who was now standing beside him.

"Shut it, Claude. Why don't you go? If I remember correctly, you always wanted a chance at the spotlight." He could almost feel the small vein in his head popping at the irritating remark his friend made. Really, he didn't like that much attention.

"I'll go." Came a soft voice from a far corner in the room and Sebastian glanced around, trying to figure out who had the balls to go up there first.

A slender guy, wearing a simple long sleeved black shirt, some dark skinny jeans and dress shoes, walked up to the small aisle, taking his place beside Mey-Rin, letting everyone have a good look on him.

The young man must have had terrible teenage years. His skin was a mess, probably from a bunch of pimples. And at first, Sebastian almost cringed, but held himself. The small guy must have gone through a lot of suffering from his odd skin. He didn't want anyone else to look at him like he was a walking free horror show.

But the red-eyed male couldn't get rid of the feeling he had seen the young lad before.

"Well… Ahn, I don't know if any of you heard of me before, but many call me Snake."

Oh! Now he remembered! He read about him in a food magazine. Apparently, his snake meat preparation was amazing, probably the best in all England, and he had several restaurants around England and Spain. Damn lucky bloody bastard.

"I am 22 and this is the first time I've ever been to this kind of competition. I'm very glad to have been called to participate on the show."

He shook hands with Mey-Rin and was given a quick hug, along with a whispered 'Good luck' before stepping out of the aisle, a bit of pink on his cheeks. He probably wasn't used to having so much contact with lasses.

"I'll go next." A rough rumble sounded from the middle of the small crowd, followed by a big hand rising quickly so everyone would see just who was about to present.

A tall, broad, blonde man stepped beside the young woman, a cigarette placed loosely on his lips. His outfit screamed that he probably dressed while he was in hurry, since he was only wearing jeans, a white T-shirt and sneakers.

"I'm Bardroy, but you can call me Bard. I'm 25 and I'm American, as you could have heard from my lack of accent." A nervous laugh. "I have a distinct way of preparing my dishes, so this is why I must've been called here…"

A few seconds passed before he mumbled something and shook hands with Mey-Rin, repeating the same process as Snake, sans the blush.

"I'll go now!"

"What the…" Sebastian mumbled as he rubbed his temples as a man clad in only red (red trousers, red shirt, red hair, red glasses…it wouldn't surprise Sebastian if he wore red underpants as well!) skipped to the aisle.

"Hello! My name is Grell and I won't be telling you my age, since a lady shouldn't do such things! My specialty is gourmet French food." The man giggled and ran a hand through his too long red hair, winking at Sebastian's direction.

_Oh my dear Christ kill me, please…_

Throughout the introductions, Sebastian did find some interesting people. Joker prepared mostly homemade food dishes in a five star restaurant in London and had a…distinct hairstyle, not to mention some kind of circus make-up, and his clothes seemed to be from a circus shop as well. Striped long-sleeved shirt, dark purple slacks that reached his ankles and combat boots isn't the most fashionable combination these days.

Fred Aberline was famous for his traditional Irish dishes (and even some based on Brotherhood Pre-Raphaelite artwork), even thought he was obviously English. A white button-up shirt could be seen from under his overly brownish overcoat, along with dark pants and old black dress shoes.

Arthur Wordsmith was a mess on two legs (just not more than Mey-Rin), having tripped on the stools just after arriving and stepped on at least everybody's feet afterwards. He had a cute face (Sebastian would give him that, but his oversized white dress shirt and old slacks did no good to his looks.), and had just come back to England after spending a few years in Scotland, learning about its cuisine so he could open his own local restaurants in Liverpool and Manchester.

Ronald was the youngest, being only 21 years old (and the most immature, honestly, he kept flirting with poor Mey-Rin while onstage), with a steady job as a chef at an American restaurant on the outskirts of Glasgow. It must be a really good one if people were willing to go to the outskirts just to eat the food. His sleeveless neon green shirt and skinny dark blue jeans along with running sneakers gave away that he was a very energetic and athletic kid.

Oh, and those beastly twins… Ash and Angela were 23 and made it clear they wanted to bring each other down before anyone else, to prove one was better than the other. Sebastian really didn't pay much attention to them. They didn't seem worth his interest.

Even more so after he was almost blinded by their too white clothes, she with a white dress and he with a white button-up shirt, pants, jacket, and dress shoes.

As Sebastian had previously suspected, Agni was an amazing chef, having already cooked for princes in India (and he was only Sebastian's age). He was very calm and his voice was deep and slightly rough, but with a gentle edge. But even though he was so famous, he was a humble man, proud of his culture, wearing his country's common clothing. It was a dark green…thing that the red-eyed male really didn't know what it was called. Perhaps a tunic?

And for the cook's surprise, another one of his…"acquaintances" was there. William, Will for short, was a bloody cheeky idiot who thought Sebastian was a demon because of his dishes and even called him such. Being the head chef of one of the most famous restaurants in all London gave him some reasons to think he was better than some other people (including Sebastian). His black suit mirrored his boring and cold personality (but, according to Grell, he was "delicious" with his cold looks) and the raven had to hold back from vomiting at the sight of the man.

There was Paula as well, a sweet young girl at 24 years old (and even she was older, she didn't escape Ronald's flirting), who made her name with desserts and healthy dishes. If Sebastian weren't gay, he'd probably date a girl like her. Alright, probably not, she was too naïve for his liking. But that didn't mean he wouldn't like her, like a younger sister. And he would punch Ronald if he said her dress was too long again. For Christ's sake, the thing didn't reach her knees! If it was any shorter, she'd be naked!

And now, just after Claude had finished, there was only man left to introduce himself. Well, he had to do it sometime…

He walked towards the small aisle and smiled at Mey-Rin, giving her a light pat on the shoulder, making her flush and stutter something he honestly didn't understand.

"Well, hello. I'm Sebastian, I'm 26 and I own one pastry shop at London, called 'The Devil's Taste'. I hope we can all get along well." His last few words came a bit quieter than the firsts, seeing as he didn't know what else to say.

He heard someone… Grell shouting "You're hot!" in the small crowd and he couldn't help but chuckle lowly. He did the same thing to Will and Claude. Seems like he liked the ones with dark hair, huh? Too bad, since none of the 3 were interested.

After giving the receptionist a quick hug, he went back to his place beside Claude, who was smirking at him.

"Lost your charm, Michaelis? I never saw you so embarrassed in front of a crowd, especially not one as small as this."

"Shut up."

"We-well, n-now that everyone knows each other, let us meet the judges!" It seemed that being hugged by the red-eyed male affected her more than he had thought.

She stepped aside as the doors behind her opened and everyone could hear someone walking towards the front of the aisle.

A young grinning man was now in front of everyone, letting the contestants' eyes roam over him.

"We have some interesting faces here! Well, as many of you may know, I am Prince Soma Asman Kadar, one of the 26 children of King Bendal, but I allow you all to call me Soma! I will be one of your judges during the competition! I wish good luck to all of you!"

Sebastian stared wide-eyed at the dark-haired male in front of him. That kid couldn't be more than 20! How the hell is he a judge?! He is a prince, but still!

Well, the young cook really had seen that boy on several food magazines and books… and on TV as well. Apparently, that kid was one of the greatest food critics in India and…perhaps Agni had already met him.

A quick look at the tall man was all Sebastian needed to confirm his suspicion. Agni seemed to be on the verge of tears and was about to collapse as if he just saw God himself.

As soon as the young prince was done, more steps could be heard along with a rather loud giggle.

"Not another of those red things…" Sebastian heard Claude mumble beside him and couldn't help but snicker at the joke. He couldn't agree more.

A blue-eyed, blonde young man ( who seemed older than the prince) wearing a very dark purple suit, white dress shirt, and seemingly expensive brown shoes was in front of their eyes, grinning like a child who had just won a candy as he eyed the competitors.

"Oh hell…"

Sebastian looked at Claude, confusion written on his face. The kid seemed to be a bit flamboyant, but not like Grell.

"What is it? He doesn't seem all that bad. He's actually a bit cute."

"I know that, Sebastian. You know the rules right?" Claude asked as he rubbed his temples, mumbling about an incoming headache.

"Yes, of course. I read them before coming. Why?"

"Is it against the rules if you already…shagged one of the judges in the past?"

Sebastian held in a loud laugh, choosing to just smirk instead. "You and him? My, my. When? I don't remember you telling me that."

"During university. And don't look at me like that. I was naïve and hormonal during those times. Also he was pretty…" He took a quick look back at the still grinning young man before swallowing. "He is pretty cute."

"Ah, I see. You always liked a good twink." He chuckled, seeing his friend's eyes narrowing at him.

"Like you were any better. You bloody little -"

"Oh, look at that. He's going to start speaking. Good for you, huh? To remember the old times." The red-eyed male teased, snickering quietly before turning his attention back to the blonde.

"Oh, how great! We do have some nice faces here! I am Alois Trancy! The one and only!" He giggled and Sebastian heard the golden-eyed male beside him take a sharp intake of breath.

"You may know me from my father's restaurants around England! I'm the one who runs most of them and make sure the chef's job is perfectly done!" The blonde exclaimed happily before taking his place beside Soma, standing as he seemed to wait for something.

After a few seconds, another young man walked towards the front of the aisle. And as he was visible enough, Sebastian let out a quiet gasp.

Deep royal blue eyes scanned the room, a look that demanded respect and emerged power.

"Welcome to all of you. I will be the head judge of this competition." A soft voice rumbled to Sebastian's ears.

The young man had short hair in some kind of dark cerulean color. He wore a dark blue tuxedo, with a white button up shirt underneath and black dress shoes that looked like Sebastian's; a green handkerchief was neatly folded on his breast pocket. The suit fit him perfectly, making the red-eyed male believe it was a tailored suit. It defined his thin waist and made his legs look longer than they probably were.

And the brunette cook couldn't help but stare amazed at the young judge. Especially at his plump lips.

"Is there a problem, Sebastian?" Claude snickered quietly beside him, elbowing his friend discreetly.

"He's too damn cute." The young cook grumbled, trying to ignore his friend's obvious smirk (probably of revenge; Sebastian did annoy him a lot) at him.

"My name is Ciel Phantomhive, son of Vincent Phantomhive. I bid you all good luck…for the first challenge starts now." A small smirk fell on his pink lips and Sebastian nearly groaned.

This was going to be a long competition.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! Sorry for taking for the wait! I was planning on posting this chapter on Monday, but things happened so...**

**Anyway, I want to thank EchizenRyomaLover for betaing this chapter again and for putting up with me!**

**I also want to thank Angelitho-Negro, Blackitten13, Heavens Crow, meow mew chan, promocat, chibi-shueiri, supremekikay24, orlyzara, the kitten420, the3littlesontarans,Thegraybluekitten, Taylor's Little Kitty-Cat, PianoHearts, Obviouslynet, Lazerqueen88 and all the guests who reviewed/favorited/followed this story! You were a great inspiration!**

**Hope you like this chapter as well! :D**

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The air became heavy as the judge's words sunk in.

Sebastian couldn't believe it! Just as he was appreciating the view of the adorable judge, the words hit him like a truck, making the young cook blink in confusion.

_A challenge? Now?__As in right now?_

All of the contestants shared awkward stares as they waited for further explanations.

"Mey-Rin will show you the kitchen. There, each of you will have your own counter where you can work. There will also be aprons and jackets with your names on them. Pick which one you prefer," the bluenette explained, gesturing to Mey-Rin, who nodded with a small smile.

"Yes, yes I will! Please, follow me!" She said happily, walking to the left side of the room, where another one of those automatic metal doors opened upon sensing her approach.

As the contestants entered the kitchen, their eyes fell on what seemed to be two long tables, one on each side of the room.

"On the tables all of you will find a small card with your name on them, yes you will! Please, look for your place so you can begin!" Mey-Rin explained happily, grinning at the competitors.

As he took a closer look, Sebastian noticed that the "long tables" were actually several counters placed very close to each other.

He made his way to the counters on the left side with Claude, quickly running his eyes over the neatly-written cards. But only his friend found his place, the last one on the row.

The red-eyed male ran a hand through his hair as he walked to the other line of stainless steel counters, noticing just now how prepared they were; a stove with six big burners, a sink on the far edge, and a cabinet under the counter could be found.

"Oh, here it is…" he murmured quietly to himself as he saw the card with his name, on top of the last counter of the right row, right in front of Claude, which was a rather good and bad thing at the same time; good because he could easily see how his friend was doing and what he was preparing; bad, because Claude could do the same to him.

Sebastian took the apron that was on top of his counter and folded it in half, wrapping it around his waist as he removed his cardigan, rolling the sleeves of his black dress shirt up to his elbows.

As soon as everyone found their places, the judges entered the kitchen, the sound of their fine shoes echoing in the room.

Ciel stood before them, with Alois at his right and Soma at his left, both grinning while the blue haired young judge stared at them with an amused look, his smirk aimed towards the contestants. Sebastian felt a small shudder run down his spine as he saw a peek of white teeth.

"This competition will have two kinds of challenges: the quick challenge and the elimination challenge. As its name suggests, the quick challenge is easier than the elimination challenge," the young judge explained, his hands buried in his pant pockets as he kept an elegant pose in front of the competitors.

"The storeroom is over there. There, is the refrigerator and the fridge. And over there are the ovens." Mey-Rin explained, gesturing to an opening at the end of the room, to four big metal doors on the wall behind Sebastian and to the several (around twenty, probably) wall ovens placed on the other wall respectively.

"And for your first quick challenge…" the blonde started, apparently being the most excited person in the room. "…seeing as it's still early and none of us have eaten anything, you'll prepare us a beautiful breakfast."

"Be sure to be creative," the prince added, a heavy accent dripping on every word that left his lips. "You have one hour."

"Starting…" Ciel trailed off, raising his wrist to check his watch. Sebastian swore that in between the two actions, the judge had glanced specifically at him.

"…now." The three young judges said in unison, with Alois's and Soma's voices over shadowing that of Ciel's.

All Sebastian saw was a blur as the contestants ran desperately to the storeroom. He turned to Claude, who looked just as impressed as he was.

They shared a chuckle before heading to the storeroom, giving each other a small smirk.

"Good luck, Michaelis."

"If I were you, I'd keep all the luck to myself, Claude. You'll need it," the red-eyed male teased, winking at his friend.

As everyone cooked, the only thing the red-eyed male thought of was how great it was that he already knew what to prepare.

All of the competitors seemed nervous (except for Claude) as they cooked. It wasn't because someone could get eliminated on a quick challenge, but because the first impression was always the most important.

Sebastian moved swiftly over to his area, stirring the egg whites and onions on the pan as he glanced at the clock.

_Thirty minutes left. I can't finish it too quickly or else it'll get cold._

The young cook walked around the room, checking the oven he was using quickly before returning to his counter, cutting the bread.

He poured water on the other hot pan he was using, applying a bit of sugar and a bit of cinnamon as he glanced at Claude and Agni, who seemed to be doing well just as he was.

Scanning the room as he stirred the mixture, Sebastian watched the three judges conversing quietly at far corner of the kitchen. The three young men ignored the contestants completely, seeming to be talking about a totally different subject.

The raven ran his eyes over the blue-haired judge again, licking his lips at the sight of a hint of pale skin peeking from his white shirt. That lad was too handsome, too adorable. Exactly Sebastian's type. If he wasn't in the competition or if he wasn't the (most important) judge, the male would've already made his move. Ah, well…Perhaps when the competition was over and he had won?

With another look at the clock, Sebastian sighed happily, knowing he was on time. Now he just had to set up the plate.

He, very carefully, took the toasted muffin and placed it on the plate, followed by the slightly baked slice of tomato and the rest of the sandwich's ingredients.

A quick glance at Claude told him that his companion had made crepes. The bastard knew how to make a bloody good crepe (It was what he knew best, and there was a time Sebastian couldn't stand eating more of his friend's favorite dish.) but he wouldn't win this. Especially since this was the first challenge. And Sebastian was always the first.

"One minute left," Soma announced out loud, smiling at the contestants as he checked his golden wrist watch.

And the red-eyed male finished his dish, now just cleaning around the plate, taking the small food crumbs away.

He grinned proudly at himself, humming quietly in approval as he put his plate on the center of the counter, ready to be presented.

"Time's up," Alois announced, his eyes trailing over the contestants' counters, making sure everyone had their dishes ready.

Sebastian watched as the three slowly walked to the first competitor, Ronald. He paid attention to their faces, trying to figure out if the blonde young cook had done well. Apparently, yes, but it seemed his dish was not outstanding.

The raven male kept his eyes glued to the three men the whole time as they tasted the food, especially at Ciel. The sight of him parting his pink plump lips to eat was almost too much.

But right now, he had to keep himself calm. For the first time in years, he was feeling a bit anxious and he couldn't wait for the judges to taste his dish and just get this over with!

Was he really going to have to deal with this feeling in every challenge?

After ten minutes, the judges had just finished tasting Claude's dish. Sebastian soon found some relief at teasing his friend. He made sure no one was looking before making a heart with his hands and directing it to the blonde judge and the golden-eyed male.

Claude glared at him but he just chuckled lowly to himself, sending a thumbs up at the other.

It seemed that his companion had done well, for the three young men wore slightly happy faces. Except for Ciel, who hadn't shown many expressions from the beginning, except for an occasional, slightly cruel smirk.

And finally, they arrived at his counter.

"Good morning," Alois said cheerfully, reaching out with his hand to shake Sebastian's. The blonde lad certainly was cute, but his personality seemed to be just a bit too much for the raven's patience.

The friendly gesture was followed by Soma and Ciel, yet the latter, instead of shaking his hand, only gave him a nod of his head (which really bothered Sebastian. He was looking forward to feel just how soft his skin was).

"You're Sebastian Michaelis, if I'm not mistaken. The owner of the pastry shop," the blue-eyed judge said quietly, taking one of the silver forks on the table.

"Indeed, sir."

The young man only hummed in response before Soma spoke up, looking over the plate.

"So, Sebastian, what did you prepare for us today?"

"Well, sir, I've made smoked salmon and egg sandwich, made with egg whites, onions, and tomatoes on a toasted whole-wheat English muffin and scones as a side dish…"

Just as he finished explaining his dish, he heard a low chuckle, coming from no one less than Ciel.

"Problem, Phantomhive?" Alois asked, sounding a bit amused himself.

"I just thought that with one hour, a good chef could come up with something more interesting that a sandwich and scones."

_What a brat!_

"Well, sir, I'm sure you'll be surprised as soon as you taste it," Sebastian said with an annoyed glare, clenching his hands into tight fists.

"I already am."

Deciding it would be better to keep his mouth shut, the cook watched as each one cut a small piece of the sandwich, bringing it to his mouth.

"Well, it is simple, but it certainly tastes amazing," Alois commented after swallowing, taking another slice of the sandwich.

"The muffin is nicely toasted, really crunchy, and the egg whites are cooked to perfection. It has a lot of flavour and textures," Soma nodded, licking his lips with a smile as he praised the red-eyed male.

Yet Ciel remained silent, much to Sebastian's dismay. Perhaps he was far too arrogant to say he was wrong. Most likely.

Then they moved to the two scones and a smirk fell on the raven's lips. Now they'd be blown away.

"And the scones…" he trailed off, waiting as Alois cut one of the two pastries in half. Sebastian watched as the filling poured down on the plate. "…are filled with a reduction of Earl Grey tea."

"What luck, huh, Ciel?! Your favourite pastry and favourite tea!" Alois exclaimed before putting a piece to his mouth, humming in delight.

"Shut it…" the small judge whined lowly, elbowing his partner, bringing a piece to his lips.

"This is wonderful, Sebastian. I have never seen or tasted anything like this," Soma pointed out, congratulating the cook.

"Thank you." He replied with a smirk, staring at Ciel who was looking at elsewhere.

_Take that, pretty face._

"Alright! Now the judges will announce the three best dishes and the winner of this quick challenge! Yes they will!" Mey-Rin announced loudly in the middle of the room, stepping aside to them room.

"This quick challenge gave us a preview on how tough this competition will be. This time we'll announce the best ones and the winner. Next time, will also announce our least favorite dishes, so be more careful later on," Soma advised, with a surprisingly more serious face.

"Our first favourite was Agni's," Alois said, gently gesturing to the Indian man on the first counter of the right row.

"Your Sabudana Khichidi was amazing and it made me feel home sick after a long time," Soma added, praising the man, his eyes shining with delight.

The tall man smiled and thanked the judges and the other contestants, who were politely clapping at him, bowing in appreciation.

"The second one was Claude's," Alois continued, trailing his eyes to the golden-eyed male.

"Your crepe was nicely done, and the bananas inside just added to the flavor. It was simply delicious," the judge commented, staring at the man all the while and

Sebastian held a chuckle back as the blonde and his friend's stares met.

"And the third was…"

"Sebastian's," Ciel announced, seeming a bit annoyed at the word that just left his lips.

"Your sandwich was amazing. I've never tasted anything so simple and so delicious in my whole life!" Alois chirped loudly, clapping his hands together as he stared at the red-eyed male.

Sebastian stole a quick glance at Claude and smirked, for the other man was obviously glaring at him.

"And your scones were a delicious surprise! Especially to Ciel and—"

"Moving on," said judge interrupted with a small cough, running a hand through his bluish locks. "The winner is… Sebastian Michaelis."

All the contestants clapped for him and the male just smirked at the annoyed lad, who kept glaring daggers at him. The sight strangely reminded him of an angry kitten. Adorable, even if the blue-eyed judge had been a total brat to him.

"Congratulations on your first victory, Sebastian. You get immunity for the next elimination challenge."

Upon Soma's words, the room's atmosphere turned tense once more.

"Which will be starting right now," Ciel announced, still glaring at Sebastian, who fought the urge to blow a kiss to the judge.

"All of you, please take a knife out of the canteen," Mey-Rin said politely, putting the canteen on the edge of Agni's counter.

"And seeing as Sebastian won the quick challenge, he gets to pick first," Alois added, glancing at the red-eyed male to call him over.

The man strolled over and eyed the canteen warily before taking a knife out.

He ran his eyes over the utensil and a surprised expression washed his face. On one side of the knife was a word written with big, black letters.

"Japan," he read out loud before staring at the judges, waiting for an explanation of the challenge from the judges.

"Your first elimination challenge will be to make a dish from that country," Ciel said, smirking as he saw the red-eyed man's expression, knowing that the latter probably wouldn't be able to come up with something good from Japan in such a little time.

"A national dish from that country, and you will present it to us tomorrow. You'll have four hours of preparation today and two more hours tomorrow."

Seeing the lad's smirk irked Sebastian, and he was set on one thing:

To take that bloody smirk off of that pretty face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! Sorry to keep you guys waiting, but here it is! I want to thank EchizenRyomaLover for betaing this! And I also want to thank everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed this story! You're all too awesome for me!**

**Hope you like it! :D**

* * *

Sebastian went back to his place staring down at the ground, clenching his fists in irritation and nervousness. He knew nothing of Japanese cuisine, so how could he possibly cook something from Japan? He had eaten sushi many times, and had enjoyed the dish in every single instance, but he had never ever prepared it.

He couldn't be eliminated in this challenge, true, but he came here to win, not be just another cook.

"Agni, you can pick now, since you were also one of our favorites," Soma declared, gesturing to the tall, dark man.

When the red-eyed male looked up again, Agni had already taken a knife from the canteen, holding it up so everyone could see what country he had gotten.

"Thailand," the Indian man announced and thanked the judges, seeming a bit scared just as Sebastian was, before returning to his counter.

"Claude, you can come as well." The words rolled off of Alois' tongue and made Sebastian snicker quietly. The red-eyed male glanced at his friend with a small smirk, who looked like he was about to show Sebastian the finger. At least, he could try relaxing for now.

"Germany." The golden-eyed male smirked at Sebastian, who glared back at him.

Damn bloody lucky bastard.

Claude had lived in Germany for two years and had learned many German dishes during his stay. And his dishes were divine; some that even his red-eyed mate couldn't replicate.

"Now, let's follow the row. Ronald, come and pick yours," Ciel declared after the other competitor had returned to his place.

One by one, each contestant picked his country, with some sighing in relief at their lucky draws and others widening their eyes in pure desperation.

Sebastian ran a hand over his face in frustration. It seemed only he really didn't know anything about the cuisine of his country.

What would he do?

"You look nervous."

The red-eyed male glanced at his side and saw his friend who seemed to be trying to decide if he should be amused or concerned.

"Why would I be?" Sebastian whispered as the judges talked to the contestants, explaining something about the house everyone would share.

"You tell me," Claude replied quietly, staring at his friend. He rarely saw the other nervous and he always made sure to pay close attention when it happened.

"How in the world will I make Japanese food? I've eaten it and seen some recipes, but I don't know how to make a complete dish."

Claude hummed in acknowledgement at the words, watching as the young cook ran a hand over his face in frustration.

A low buzz caught their attention and Claude raised his eyebrows, since the noise seemed to emanate from his friend.

"What was that?"

"It's just my cell. The battery must be running out," Sebastian replied, taking his Blackberry out of the front pocket of his trousers.

Suddenly, Claude watched as a grin fell on the other cook's lips.

"What is it, Michaelis?"

"I knew that getting free network for my cell would be useful," the red-eyed male replied, now with a cocky smirk, typing furiously like a kid who just got a new videogame.

Almost three hours passed, yet the young cook couldn't find anything that pleased him. Nothing seemed to have enough flavor.

"Sebastian, put that cell away. It's been more than two hours. You need to start cooking!" Claude hissed as he walked by the red-eyed male, whose eyes were set on the screen of his cell phone.

"Shut it, will you. I'm almost there," he mumbled, never glancing at the other male, who huffed in annoyance before walking away.

"You know what you're doing."

And he certainly did. The moment the other male walked away, Sebastian's eyes shone as he found the perfect recipe, and the best of them all. It didn't need much time to prepare. He could cook everything with the time he had left and tomorrow he'd just have to warm everything up and set the plate.

* * *

"Did you find a recipe that suited your tastes?" Claude asked, sipping his beer as he took a seat on the chair near Sebastian at the balcony.

"Indeed. I found exactly what I wanted," the cook smirked, pleased with himself and his searching abilities.

The house they would be staying in was big, comfortable enough for 14 people to stay in without trouble. Two floors, a pool, and a beautiful garden filled with white roses were what caught the red-eyed male's attention.

And the most interesting part was that, along with the main building of the competition, it was all situated in the Phantomhive estate. And the judges' building, where they spent their time when not at work, was in there as well. There was also another manor at the far back of the lot, which Sebastian really didn't know was for.

"What have you been doing?" The golden-eyed male asked while removing his glasses, glancing momentarily at the other man.

"The same as always; taking care of the shop, working, nothing out of the ordinary. What about you? When did you get back?"

"A couple months ago. I've been busy. Moving back proved to be harder than I thought. There were too many papers and too many things to do, especially with the registration for this. At least I found a job easily, in the first try. Of course, after all, who wouldn't hire me?"

Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head from side to side. Time really didn't change people. He and Claude have been friends since they were six and even then Claude had always been so sure of himself and his achievements. Not that it was all that bad, just annoying sometimes.

"I see. Speaking of work, how did you and the judge…meet and become special acquaintances?" The young cook smirked, elbowing his golden-eyed friend who just rolled his eyes at his [immature] actions.

"Alois was taking the same course as I. He came to me—"

"I'm sure he did."

"Looking for help since his grades were absurdly low and I had the best grades in my class. After that, we started walking together and talking more often. One thing led to another and the next thing I knew, I was bending him over the library desk."

"Interesting. And, just enlighten me a bit, when you said 'We started walking together and talking more often', how often exactly?"

"The whole process took two days. Our relationship lasted for three weeks, if I remember correctly."

Sebastian nodded, taking the beer bottle out of his friend's hand to sip it himself, then frowning visibly. He never really did enjoy the taste of beer.

"And who ended it?"

"No one. I graduated while he still had some years there," the golden-eyed male replied, taking his bottle back with a glare.

"In other words…"

"Yes, I'd still like to try something with him. The lad's special."

The red-eyed male hummed in response, looking ahead at the great lake at the back of the lot.

"It sounds like we're surrounded by those," Sebastian mused, thinking back on his favorite judge.

* * *

"Hurry up! We've only got thirty minutes left!" Bard shouted around the kitchen, holding up his amazingly enormous blow-torch.

"Please, keep that thing away," the red-eyed male grumbled under his breath, cutting the last pieces of chicken.

The young cook finally found out what the blonde man had meant on the other day when he said "by the way I cook". He used that huge thing to cook things faster. But Sebastian was sure he had never seen someone use a blow-torch to make Haggis. Hell, he didn't even know that was possible.

As the male was setting up his plates, the doors to the kitchen suddenly opened and he glanced up to see the blue-haired judge walking in.

"I see you're all very busy so I'll be brief. We have a surprise for you," Ciel smirked ever so slightly, running his eyes over the contestants, who were visibly nervous by his words.

"We have someone else to help us. Everyone, this is Lau."

A man, presumably Chinese or Japanese based on his clothing and facial features, walked in, smiling at the competitors.

"Hello," he greeted, waving friendly. Yet his mind seemed to be anywhere but the contestants.

"Lau owns one of the most famous importing companies in all of England. And since he knows so much about foreign products, we asked him to help out for this challenge," the young judge added, gesturing to the man who obviously wasn't paying attention.

"Well, good luck to you all. And be careful, there's only twenty minutes left," Ciel added before leaving the room, followed by Lau.

Sebastian hissed under his breath. Great, now he had to make another bowl.

"Time's up," Joker announced loudly. Everyone stepped away from his respective counter, and each one had four complete dishes on it.

The waiters came in and took Aberline's plates, taking them to the dining room where the judges were waiting.

Sebastian had only heard the contestants' respective countries during the preparation, as he was too nervous to listen when they were initially announced.

Aberlain had gotten Ireland and prepared a traditional Black Pudding. Snake got Greece and made Fasolada. Angela got China and made sweet and sour pork. Ronald got USA (the lucky bastard) and prepared a Sirloin steak with sautéed onions, French fries, broccoli, carrots, and snow peas. Paula got India and made Khichdi. Grell got France and made Blanquette de Veau. Will got Italy and made Linguini with clam sauce. Bard got Scotland and made Haggis, neeps, and tatties. Arthur got Brazil and prepared bobó de camarão, made of shrimp in a purée of manioc meal. Ash got Spain and made Gaspacho. And finally, Joker got Mexico and made Mixiote.

As for Agni, the Indian man made Khao na Pet, red roast duck on rice and Claude prepared Gaisburger Marsch; a famous stew made of Swabian beef, potatoes, Spatzle, and several kinds of vegetables.

One by one, the waiters went back and forth, taking the plates to the judges, the chefs accompanying them to explain the dish to the judges before returning to the kitchen.

And before he knew it, it was Sebastian's turn.

He swallowed heavily and followed the waiters, arriving at the dining room in front of the judges.

The room was beautifully decorated. A big mahogany table was at the middle, with Ciel seated at the edge, Alois at his right, Soma at his left, and Lau beside the Prince.

After the waiters served the bowls, all eyes fell on the red-eyed male who smiled at the judges, trying to calm his racing heart.

"So, Sebastian, what did you make for us?" Alois asked, staring at the young cook with a grin.

"Well, since I got Japan, I prepared Oyako Donburi."

He received a few strange looks from the judges and continued. "Oyako means 'parent and child' in Japanese. This dish is made of eggs and chicken, hence the name, served on top of rice. The chicken was slowly cooked on low fire with soy sauce, mirin, sugar, simmer, onions and the eggs. I hope you like it." He sent the judges one last charming smile before returning to the kitchen.

"How did it go?" Claude asked with a dishcloth around his neck, handing him a very welcomed water bottle.

The red-eyed male thanked the other cook, taking a large gulp and sighing as his muscles relaxed when the cold liquid slid down his throat.

"Well, I believe. They didn't say anything."

"They did that to everyone."

The grumbled comment made Sebastian chuckle and pat his friend on the back as they went to join the other competitors, who were chatting joyfully at the back of the kitchen.

"May I have your attention everyone?" Alois' voice echoed in the kitchen and all the contestants suddenly stopped talking, staring at him with curious eyes.

"We would like to see Claude," he began, glancing at a small paper from his breast pocket.

"Arthur, and…"

"Sebastian."

The three men shared a slightly nervous look before nodding and following the blonde judge.

As they arrived, Alois joined his partners at the table, shaped in a semi-circle with the show's logo on the middle. At the front seat was Ciel with Alois at his left followed by the guest judge Lau, and Soma at his right.

"You three were our favorites for tonight." Ciel announced, watching as the three cooks let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Arthur, what was the name of the dish again? It was great! The taste was amazing! And the cream cheese really was something else!" Soma said with a grin, watching as the young contestant flushed. He probably was not used to be complimented.

"It's called bobó de camarão, sir."

"Claude your stew was delicious. The meat was melting in my mouth and the vegetables were perfect as well," Alois smirked at the golden-eyed male, who was staring back at him attentively.

"Thank you, sir," he mumbled lowly, nodding before glancing away, making his red-eyed friend snicker mentally.

"And the Spatzle amazed us all. Did you get it from the storeroom, or is it fresh?" Lau added, grinning to himself.

"It's fresh. I made it yesterday."

"Sebastian, I really didn't expect you to do well on the challenge. But you proved yourself. The chicken was nicely done and seasoned to perfection. I hope you keep up the hard work throughout the entire competition," Ciel commented, his tone not very convincing despite the encouraging words.

"I intend to, sir," the man replied, his voice carrying a slight playful edge. Yet, the only one who seemed to notice was Claude who rolled his eyes.

"Lau, as our guest judge, why don't you announce the winner?" Ciel said, turning his head to look at the man, who was obviously spacing out.

"The winner of what?"

The question made the blue-haired judge rub his temples in visible annoyance as his other two companions laughed.

"Of the challenge, you bloody bastard," Ciel grumbled, his elegant eyebrows twitching as he stared at the other.

"Oh, yes. Of course, Earl." Lau nodded before turning back to the contestants, who were trying to decide whether he looked amused or surprised. "I think all of us agreed who made the best dish, and captured the country's spirit and flavors. The winner is…who was that we decided?"

Ciel sighed and ran his hand over his face, obviously frustrated at the guest judge's attitudes.

"The winner is Claude," Alois said as he was already feeling tired of the waiting to make the announcement.

The red-eyed male felt a little disappointed but smiled at his friend nonetheless, turning around to shake his hand and give him his well deserved congratulations.

"Congratulations Claude. And, for winning this round, you get a trip for the Caribbean for five days." Soma added, smiling at said contestant.

"Thank you," the golden-eyed male nodded, grinning in pure delight at his victory.

"Now, we need you to call some of your colleagues."

After they went back to the kitchen and announced to the other competitors who won, Arthur told Joker, Angela, and Bard that the judges wanted to see them.

In the end, Angela's dish just didn't measure up to the rest of the other cooks. She received a quick hug from everyone and a way too cruel smirk (in Sebastian's opinion) from her twin brother.

* * *

"Thank God there's only one challenge per week," Claude grumbled as he lay on his bed on the other side of the room, making his friend look up from his book.

"You're just too old, that's all," the red-eyed male joked, closing his book to chat properly with his friend.

"Shut it. I'm just one year older than you."

"Doesn't seem like it. Look at that, you're all wrinkled."

"You're an idiot," the male mumbled as he got under the covers, removing his glasses before burying his face on the pillows.

"Will you try something with Alois?" Sebastian asked lowly, making sure no one was listening, putting his book on the nightstand and getting under the covers as well.

"I don't know. If someone finds out, it'll be bad for the both of us, and if we were to date after the competition, people will say he was just helping me out during the show."

The words made Sebastian think about his plan on making a move on Ciel after the competition. Proud as the lad seemed to be, he wouldn't let anything ruin his good name.

"Perhaps you're right," the red-eyed cook murmured, rolling to the side to stare at the wall.

"I'm always right." And the worst part was, Sebastian thought, was that it was true.

"Arrogant idiot. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

But Sebastian could barely sleep that night, thinking about on how he couldn't let such a beautiful boy slip his hands so easily.


End file.
